RV Campsite Setup Ideas to Make a Place Feel Like Home

Five2Go
by Five2Go

We are excited to show you some RV campsite setup ideas. The longer we travel in the RV the more we learn about what to do and what not to do. Setting up a nice campsite will make your space look and feel more like a home. We're going to show you how we set everything up to maximize our comfort outdoors.


Camping mat

Camping mat

The first thing we do is put a camping mat down. We stake it into the ground so we don’t have to worry about it flying away. It gives us a nice amount of space in front of the camper where we can hang out and not have to worry about dirt.

Best RV campsite setup

Awning

Once the mat is down, we can bring the awning out. First, I make sure that my straps are ready to go on the awning as soon as it's out. Our awning strap system was about $25. There’s a large corkscrew-like metal piece that screws into the ground. Then the other piece which is a spring with a buckle for the strap. 


The reason I like this system is that it’s very secure. I would have to use my truck to pull it out of the ground, so I know it can handle strong wind. The springs allow the awning to move and flex without becoming detached. If it didn't have that flex, it could do damage, or bend an arm of the awning.

RV campsite setup

When both anchors are in the ground, we roll out the awning. We attach the straps to the anchors by feeding them through the buckle. Then we tighten the straps to get them nice and snug. You don't want to tighten the straps too much because you don’t want them pulling the awning down.


You are going to have to check the straps to tighten them up a bit a couple of times a day because they are also going to keep loosening.

Decorating ideas RV campsite setup ideas

Light strings

We found these great LED light strings that we used to decorate the awning. It's a 32-foot-long string, so I know I have enough to run the entire length of the awning and down the other strap.


The nice thing about these lights is they're plastic. This is good because they tend to get blown around in the wind and bang up against things. Since they’re plastic we don't have to worry about glass shards flying everywhere.

How to setup RV campsite

On the other side inside of the flap of the awning there is a channel where we can slide in the light hooks. Once I’ve got all my clips slid into the channel, I start spacing out the hooks. I have ten hooks so the lights can go along the whole length of the awning.


When the lights are all wrapped up down the strap, I just plug them into the extension cord. The extension cord is plugged into our basement. I recommend running the cord under the camping mat, so no one trips over it.

Folding table and benches

Folding table

To customize the setup the way we like it we moved the campsite picnic benches out of the way and put out our folding table. We use tablecloths to make the area look a little bit nicer while we're out here. We found our tablecloths on sale for $4 and they are a great way to help create a nice homey atmosphere.


We have clips to keep the tablecloth in place when it's windy. The children decorated some small planters, so we put those on the table as well. It’s nice for the kids to do art projects that personalize the space.


We set up our chairs outside like a small living room area. In the evenings we’ll sit out and have popcorn or just hang out. We found very cute chairs on sale for the little ones.


We spent a bit more for the grown-up chairs because we wanted something comfortable that would fold up easily. We also like that the chairs we found have a little table and cup holder attached.

 

We have an outside table that we really like. It folds up nice and small which makes it easy to store. We use the table as a landing pad before going into the rig. We use it for things like bringing groceries in or laying out things that might need to dry.

 

The outdoor camping mat is great for keeping our feet from getting dirty when we’re hanging out in front. Keeping the inside of the RV clean can be a challenge, so the mat helps with that. We don’t want to be going straight from the mud into the rig. We also have a doormat to wipe our shoes off when we’re coming in.

Rubberized mats on the stairs

Rubberized mats

We found these convenient rubberized mats to stick onto our stairs. They cost about $2 and were an important purchase. When the stairs get wet, and especially when they get icy, they can be dangerous. Both Erin and I have fallen down the stairs when they’ve been wet or icy. These rubber mats create a slip-free surface.

RV campsite setup ideas

Nail-style stakes

We used to use plastic tent stakes, but we didn't like them. They kept breaking, bending, and getting stuck in the ground. We basically had to break them to get them out. We switched to the metal nail-style stakes. The nail-style stake is nice because it goes into the ground very easily and holds tightly. Since it's metal we know we're not going to break it trying to get it back out.

 

RV campsite setup ideas 

Let us know in the comments how you set up your area when you get to a campground. We hope you liked our setup and got the inspiration for your own RV campsite. Have a great day!

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